Salainen's Choice
by The Song of the Felines
Summary: Written for Nightspirit's Contest


This is my one-shot for Nightspirit's Contest.

* * *

Characters

Cloud/Salainen- a white she-cat with pale ivory "snowflakes" all over her pelt and pale frosty green eyes

Russie- a beautiful dark russet ginger she-cat with dark green eyes

Jackal- a black-brown she-cat with dark hazel eyes

Fallen- a pale golden she-cat with dark amber eyes

Strike- a muscular and handsome dark black-brown tom with piercing hazel eyes

Fang- a smoky black tom with emotionless amber eyes

Slash- a dark brown tom with burning amber eyes

Falcon- a dark golden-brown tom with green eyes

* * *

"Cloud! Come here!" A dark russet ginger she-cat with dark green eyes meowed, sounding frightened. "What is it, Russie?" Cloud meowed, grooming her white fur. "Wake up Jackal!" Russie meowed. "I'm up!" Jackal meowed, shaking out her black-brown pelt. "There's a band of cats coming, and they don't look too friendly!" Cloud went over to where Russie was. A small group of four toms were advancing towards their hiding place. 'Where is Fallen?' Cloud thought.

"Where were the she-cats, Fang?" The leader asked, his hazel eyes searching the undergrowth. "I saw them near here, Strike." A smoky black tom meowed. "How many?" Strike asked again. "Four, I think." Fang meowed. "Perfect! One for each of us." A dark brown tom meowed.

"I'm back!" Fallen meowed, carrying four pieces of prey. "Ssh!" Cloud meowed, but it was too late. The toms had heard Fallen and entered the hiding place. "What do we have here?" Strike meowed. Cloud stood bravely. "I am Cloud. What do you want of us?" Strike smirked. "We just want you." he meowed. "I'll take the russet one." Strike meowed. "Take your pick, boys." The toms walked towards the she-cats. A dark golden brown tom with green eyes neared her. "I like you." he said, grinning. Cloud was repulsed. 'Yuck!' Cloud thought.

She heard a squeak. She turned around and saw innocent Russie being cornered by Strike, her eyes terrified. Cloud summoned all the strength she had and slashed her claws across the golden-brown tom's throat. He yowled, then collapsed. "Get her, boys!" Strike meowed, pinning Russie down so she wouldn't escape. The remaining two toms pounced on Cloud. Fang slashed his long claws across her throat. Cloud's world went black.

She woke up in a white void. There was nothing there, just a white blank. "Welcome Cloud." A tortoiseshell she-cat meowed, making Cloud jump. "Who are you?" she meowed. "I am Furzewind." Cloud looked around. "Where are we? Am I dead?" she asked. "You are in the Nothingness, the place between life and death. You are very close to death." Furzewind explained. "My Cloud!" A familiar voice meowed. "Mother!" Cloud mewed, rushing to a pale cream she-cat with pale amber eyes.

"But what about my friends? What will happen to them?" Cloud meowed, confused. Furzewind smiled sadly. "Ah. That, young one, is your choice. You can die, and be reunited with your mother, or live for a little while to kill the three toms threatening your friends, then become a flesh-and-blood spirit, never dying, becoming a guardian of the Isle of Light. It is your choice." Cloud thought about it. "May I see my friends?" she asked. Furzewind dipped her head. Waving her paw, she created a puddle. Cloud looked into it, and saw her friends, cornered. "Please, leave us alone. We never did anything to you." Strike smiled. "Yes, but I'm afraid I can't do that."

"So?" Furzewind meowed. "What is your decision?" Cloud looked at her friends, then looked at her mother, who smiled. "I will save my friends." she decided. Her mother smiled. "I will see you someday, my daughter." Cloud dipped her head, then leaped into the pool.

"Cloud!" her friends meowed. The toms turned around. "I thought we killed you!" Fang snarled. "Fraid not." She ran towards the toms, filled with an energy she had never felt before. She slashed her claws across Strike's throat. He fell to the ground, dead. The remaining toms ran. She teleported right in front of the toms, and like lightning, slit their throats.

She went back to her friends. "Cloud!" Russie cried, rushing toward her. "I thought you were dead! Come with us, come have something to eat!" The three she-cats walked to their camp, then stopped when they noticed she wasn't following them. "I can't stay." she meowed. "Why not?" Fallen meowed. "I had a choice. Die, or live for a while to save my friends. I chose you. Now I must leave." Cloud meowed. The three she-cats whimpered sadly. "Goodbye my friends. I will miss you."

Cloud faded, then went back to the Nothingness. "You did the right thing." Furzewind meowed. "Now you must change your name." Cloud thought for a bit. "My name will be…Salainen." Furzewind nodded. "Goodbye Salainen. We shall meet again."

Salainen closed her eyes and teleported. She felt like she was flying, her paws skimming across the clouds. She opened her eyes, then screamed as she landed in the water. She looked around. The Isle of Light was beautiful. Salainen knew she had made the right choice.


End file.
